Tuesday, September 06, 2011

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

And no, I'm not talking about CHRISTMAS - I'm talking about the first day of SCHOOL!

While I love my kids and cherish them being at home, I know most of you are with me in the excitement of having them return to school, too! ;) Though my guys have already been back for a couple of weeks now, for many of my northern friends as well as friends overseas the first day back is TODAY! So I thought I'd share a little back to school scrapbooking inspiration with you so you can document this momentous occasion with the bazilliondy photos you are bound to take in all the spare time you are about to have! (I kid, I kid!)

This layout was initially done as part of BasicGrey's Page of the Month program. If you're a retailer and you haven't heard about this program, you NEED to check into it now! It's truly fantastic and a great regular class for your clients. If you're a customer, hound your retailer into getting in their store! You won't want to miss it next year, I promise!

My big guy Ethan started middle school this fall and he's not as much into having me take his photo anymore, much less a first day of school one. So to make me feel better (and delude myself into thinking he's still small), I documented all his first days of elementary school in this one double-page spread using BasicGrey's new OXFORD collection. This collection is one of my all-time favorites for school, boys and everything in between.

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Just LOOK how tiny he was in kindy. You know I can hardly remember him that small and yet I remember his first day like it was yesterday. I am so thankful I have these photos to remind me of just how much he's grown.

And if you're looking for further inspiration, my friends at Scrapbooks Etc. has put together some of their favorite back to school pages, including a couple of my oldie but goodie favorites. You can check them out here and here. Keep scrolling to find many more wonderful examples of ways to document school related things that go even beyond the first day.

So to celebrate this most wonderful day, leave a comment here about YOUR favorite thing about school and you will be entered to win an OXFORD collection pack of your very own! Contest will close without notice so get your entries in ASAP! Only one comment per person, please.

Have a great short work-week!
xoxo,
kg

61 comments:

Cindy deRosier said...

LOVE this layout! My absolute favorite layouts are the ones that show the passage of time. Six years of first days is awesome. So fun to see how he's changed and grown.

Shelley said...

My favourite thing about school is seeing my boys being excited about their new school supplies and making new friends. We recently moved 1200km and while it is an adjustment for all of us the boys are liking their new school and their teachers. Whew, it makes me feel more relaxed!

Scott Cotner-Young said...

This is SO cute and SOOO very my style! I love everything about it! I REALLY need to back to it and scrap again! This looks like a great collection!

Tabitha said...

Love your layout! My children have been in school for over 4 weeks. But, i agree it;s the most wonderful timne of the year! The best thing about school is the clothes and supplies and of course the first week crushes.

Have a great day!

Marinette-Scraptherapie said...

Love everything about your layout♥♥ The mix of colors is amazing!
Bravo
Bisous♥

Yvonne..... said...

This back to school is a little bittersweet because my "baby" is a senior in high school this year. I know the school year will fly by and before I know it, he will be away for college. I am trying to savor every moment this year from packing lunches to giving him gas money - LOL!

Kelly said...

I love all the new supplies...notebooks, pencils, pens, ect. Love them still:)

My kiddos are too little for school this year but next year Makenna will go to jr preschool and that is already giving me heart palpitations:/ She will love it though.

Julia said...

My favorite thing about school was always finding out where my locker was going to be. Top or bottom? Near the cute guy? Near any of my friends?? It was always a big deal to me!!

Anonymous said...

My favorite thing about school is shopping for new supplies...LOVE IT!!!

Michelle L. said...

My favorite thing about school is my STUDENTS! I love being in the classroom with them and learning together. Totally would do it for no pay. But, I DO require payment for grading papers... :)

Jingle said...

I love how happy it makes my husband! He is a middle school teacher and LOVES his job!

Beanie said...

School supply shopping. I love buying new crayons, notebooks and foldewrs!

Kelly said...

I love how happy it makes my daughter! She adores school and I want to remember her actually wanting to go because I know at some point it won't be as fun.

Ann-Marie said...

New crayons!!!

Jessica said...

I love all the new supplies and clothes! Thanks for the chance to win!

Jennifer said...

I love how you compared his first days throughout the years. My favorite part of back to school was always shopping for new supplies. There's still something about a fresh notebook and new pack of crayons that makes me giddy. :)

Kelly Massman said...

I love getting to see the kids I tutor! Thanks!

Anonymous said...

My favorite thing about school is that we don't have to go there any more. My son just graduated with a BA in Music Education so we'll still be close to the school environment. I love this layout for the page of the month program and just finished mine the other day. I had to change it up since my kids are grown now. Here's a link to my layout for our class tomorrow: http://www.stickerstoreandmore.com/Net%20Calendar/2011/September/Basic%20Grey%20Page%20Of%20The%20Month%20September%202011.htm. Be sure to use some of the Debate Team paper for your party layouts. Carson looks so cute with his Harry Potter glasses and scarf.

Kim M said...

I loved school as a child, hated to see it end, I am so glad to see my girls have that same love.

Erin said...

I'm a teacher at a Child Development Center and the first day is what we look forward to all summer. Both my boys are in my class this year and I am so excited to watch them grow and develop along with all my other kiddos!

nbuston said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
nbuston said...

Going back to school is like a crisp new beginning. Full of hope and optimism for a grand new school year! I love the smiling faces and new clothes, and fresh haircuts standing all in a line!

Laura Evangeline said...

I absolutely love all the school supplies & the sales!

Debbie aka Scrapbee said...

I love the onset of the cooler weather!

Himmelsengelkind said...

Call me a sour puss, but I love that the kids are back in school!

Lisa Henderson said...

Great layout! I used to love the back to school shopping and anticipating seeing all my friends :)

Kyla H said...

I love buying all the school supplies. Love your layout.

Krista said...

I love the structure the new school year brings, after the long lazy days of summer.

cheepincharge said...

My favorite thing about school? The homemade rolls in the cafeteria..they were the BEST!!

Anonymous said...

I always liked the crisp, new school supplies, especially the new colored pencils! While I just had to buy some of the Oxford line when it came out, I'd take some more. I love the colors and just look at the cardstock with the cute pencils!

Jeannine H.

Melanie said...

In college, my fave was getting my new books! Loved it!
My guys just started preschool so I loved hearing about their day today!

Ann-Cathrin said...

This Layout is so lovely and amazing. I am just starting with scrapbooking - just have a look at my website - perhaps you like what you see. :)

Laura J said...

My favorite thing is that moment of quiet in my house after everyone gets on the bus! Seriously, back to school is good in lots of ways and I do a happy dance every year when the kids go back...the routine & time with friends is good for them...the time alone is good for me! I love that you titled this blog post "It's the most wonderful time of the year"...I adore that old Staples back to school commercial and even used that title for my back to school layout two years ago!

Loved your layout Kelly! I think I'll have to do a layout showing all the first days of school through elementary...love how it showcases their growth!

Romy said...

I have started at University (I graduated high school last year) just one week ago and I love it to start my new life: meeting new people, going to school in our beautiful capital city and majoring in something that is completely new to me:)

Kelly S. said...

i looooved meeting so many new people.... i really miss making new friends all the time!

Lisa J said...

The best part of going back to school each year for me was new school supplies!
Great layout showing the changes from year to year. The Oxford collection is awesome.

AllyW said...

I have a high schooler and one going into college this year and they both were still excited for school to start! Who knew!! Of course after the first week they were ready for it to end! lol. I just love that no matter what age (apparently :) all the kids in the neighborhood start getting excited and talking about what they will wear, who they will sit next to, who their teachers are etc. and it brings back the fond memories of school that i have.

MelKilMD said...

Loved the sense of accomplishment; I may have even liked deadlines... :) Loved learning so much that I am thinking of going back to college next semester.

Brittany said...

OMG! I thought I was the *only* Mom loving the first day back to school!!?! First, I loved school (especially biology lab, weird, right?), so it's not like I'm wishing something awful on the Lilliputians. And second, we all do better with our own "stuff" going on! Thanks for the chance, Kelly!
P.S. Harry Potter party looks SO awesome... when my son gets big enough, I hope to borrow some of your ideas!

Heather said...

I love learning new things! That is the main reason I love school. This year I am learning a new language. I also love my campus... it's beautiful, especially in the fall.

Tasha H said...

I love to see my 4 year old having fun at preschool!

Anonymous said...

My favorite thing about school was the smell of new pencils and a new binder full of ruled notebook paper - skinny lined of course.

Thanks for the opportunity to win the Oxford collection. It's beautiful!

Kim

Brianna B said...

I loved school. I don't yet have kids in school, next year, but I love the colors in this line. It'll be fun to scrap when they do go. :) I love first day of school photos!

Lisa P said...

My favorite thing about school is the first day. I was a teacher and I remember the excitement of getting my classroom ready, the new name tags and supplies, the anticipation. I still have that now but it is on the other sisde as I am a stay at home mom. I love anticipating the first day with my own kids. Fun stuff.

Anonymous said...

When I was younger, my favorite thing about school was the new 64 count box of Crayola crayons I always got. As I got older, my favorite part was whenever I got a new syllabus, and saw all of the new things I would be learning.

Michelle T. said...

I always loved seeing my friends after a long summer away!

Robyn S said...

I always loved getting new school supplies and organizing them. Of course they never stayed new or organized for very long! Now I love getting new scrapbook supplies :)

alisa logue said...

My favorite thing about school was always friends but I will say... the smell of new books! Love all the projects you've been posting and the inspiration article! Thanks for sharing! -Alisa

Nancy4004 said...

I think my favorite thing about school was just having my family back into a routine. Yeah, sometimes routine is good!

suzitee said...

Definitely shopping for cute new supplies! I've always been a stationary girl :) Your LO is gorgeous...perfect, really :)

the mustik said...

I always love the first day of school, see my friends after the holidays.

isabel said...

Having new pens, new books... it's still the same today.
Thanks for the chance.

{dawn} said...

Love this school layout, especially the combing of photos from his different grades - really cute!

My favorite thing from school, when my kids were still in school, was learning things again with them. I don't think I truly appreciated history when I was kid. As my kids went through school, I found it amazingly fun to read the history text books!

Ilka said...

Getting a new pencil case filled with new pens and crayons was a real highlight. I was ever so proud of my pencil case and the goodies it held!
Still love my pencil cases filled with art supplies.

Carol said...

I've been a bookworm for as long as I can remember...school was always fascinating because there was a library right in the building! I spent most recesses in there reading away!

MNJackson said...

Would love me some Oxford :). Love everything about school, wish I could go back!

Linda E said...

Fabulous layout, Kelly! My favorite thing about school was getting new textbooks. I can still remember thumbing through them thinking about all the possibilities they held as the year started!

Jamie K said...

I love this layout! My favorite things about school have to be the fresh start, getting organized and such, and of course the fall weather!

Vitoria B said...

I was a good student and i always love all the books, new books and new school stuff.

GabyCreates.com said...

My favorite thing about school while a little girl in Mexico was the yummy food I got to purchase! (I know, I still remember that!) -- Here as a teenager was meeting with my friends -- and now as a Librarian, all that I can share with students/teenagers and making a difference at least in one student's life a year!!

Susan said...

Love the layout!! My favorite thing about this year's first day of school was my son's face seeing the school bus coming down our street for the first time to take him to kindergarten. He was so excited! Thanks for the chance to win!
S